Patrick Air Force Base's 45th Space Wing will get its first woman commander.

Col. Susan Helms, a former astronaut and veteran of five space flights who served as vice commander of the 45th Space Wing until February 2005, is expected to return as commander by mid-summer. No date has been announced.

"Clearly the Space Coast is a special place, and I just can't seem to stay away," Helms said in an e-mail to FLORIDA TODAY on Friday. "Having the chance to command the 45th Space Wing will be a true honor and I look forward to the opportunity to work -- once again! -- with the great people at Patrick Air Force Base, Cape Canaveral Air Force Station and NASA."

She replaces Brig. Gen. Mark Owen, who has been commander of the 45th Space Wing since August 2004. He has been reassigned to the Pentagon, the Department of Defense announced Friday.

Robert Pearlman

According to her U.S. Air Force biography, Brig. Gen. Susan Helms has been selected for reassignment as the Director of Plans and Policy at the headquarters of U.S. Strategic Command, Offutt Air Force Base in Nebraska.

Robert Pearlman

Maj. Gen. Susan J. Helms has been confirmed for appointment to the rank of lieutenant general with assignment as commander, 14th Air Force (Air Forces Strategic-Space), Air Force Space Command, and commander, Joint Functional Component Command for Space, U.S. Strategic Command, Vandenberg Air Force Base, Calif.

Helms replaces at Vandenberg Air Force Base Lt. Gen. Larry D. James, who will become deputy chief of staff for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance at Air Force Headquarters in Washington, D.C.

A change of command ceremony has not yet been scheduled.

ejectr

Wow! From a full bird Colonel to a 3 Star in four years! That's moving up the ladder in a hurry, folks.

ilbasso

As a fellow performing musician, I can only surmise that it was her playing in Max Q that qualified her for the rapid move up the leadership ladder.

Sen. Claire McCaskill is holding up the nomination of Air Force Lt. Gen. Susan Helms, tapped to serve as vice commander of the U.S. Space Command, until the Missouri Democrat gets more information about Helms' decision to overturn a jury conviction in a sexual assault case.

AJ

I have always had a lot of respect and admiration for Lt. Gen. Helms. This is the first I have heard of this story and I find it troubling. Hopefully there might be some clarity to this issue in the days ahead.

albatron

Hopefully, and I also hope the "PC Police" don't get involved. She's nobody's fool, and wouldn't allow something as this for personal or non-correct reasons.

Our military is being affected far too much by this PC nonsense. I don't disagree, it should be reviewed, but...

fredtrav

It should be reviewed perhaps...

By the numbers it does not appear to be a widespread problem. In the past five years there were 327 sexual assault court martial convictions in the Air Force of which only five were overturned and only 40 out of 3,713 of all offenses were overturned. Does not appear to be a widespread misuse of power. Sounds like a senator wanting her 15 minutes of news time.

In at least some state courts, a judge has the power to set aside a jury conviction if he feels the case was not proven.

AJ

I don't think McCaskill is doing this for publicity. I was looking into her bio and she has a long record of public service and commitment to supporting the armed forces. McCaskill hasn't said she doesn't want Helms in the job, from what I have read, but rather that she would like more info. Given the circumstances (and the increase in publicity over military sexual assault cases), I don't think that is unreasonable. Based on what I know of Helms, I don't think she would overturn the conviction without damn good reason, but it certainly sounds like a complicated/potentially controversial case so I suppose being cautious is best.

Jim Behling

This is the first case I have seen Helms make a decision. As the 45th Space Wing commander, she always deferred making decisions, pushing them off on her successor. Later, her troops didn't even bother bringing issues to her (like MSL range safety approval) knowing that she would leave it to her successor.

The Wall Street Journal's opinion page responded with this column, describing McCaskill's actions as a "war on men".

albatron

I never worked for Helms, nor have I had any contact with her and I have no personal opinion of her as a result of that.

We can only speculate as to why McCaskill is doing this, but I cannot think of any viable or good reason. She just killed Helm's career with her political motivation. Reading these articles it is obvious Helms made the right decision.

Micromanaging is a bad thing in any instance, all the way from Congress is reprehensible.

AJ

The WSJ piece is the first in which the context of the offending incident was reported. I had tried but no other articles that I was able to find gave this account. I think it is super important within the context of what is going on.

I was willing to give McCaskill the benefit of the doubt (she seems genuinely concerned about military matters) but at this point she seems to be actively trying to screw over Helms (who, I freely confess, I have a total girlcrush on).

Sexual assault in the military does truly seem to be a problem, but punishing Gen. Helms for daring to intervene in one case seems capricious and truly unwarranted.

Air Force officials would not confirm that President Obama had withdrawn the nomination of Lt. Gen. Susan Helms to be vice commander of the Air Force’ Space Command, but the officials said that "she has put in for retirement."

Hart Sastrowardoyo

Helms' retirement will be effective April 1, reports the Lompoc Record.

Sometime this month, Helms’ official Air Force biography was updated to include a retirement date effective April 1, 2014.

The change of command ceremony likely will occur before then.

englau

KSBY News reports on the Change of Command at Vandenberg Air Force Base:

Our nation and our international partners rely on space capabilities in every single element of our culture and society. To be a human being today is to live a life where space is a part of daily existence," said Lt. Gen. Susan J. Helms, Former Commander, JFCC and 14th Air Force, Vandenberg Air Force Base.

General Helms relinquishes command through the passing of the flags, symbolizing the continuity of command and transfer of authority to General John W. Raymond.